Code of Silence
by TXMedic
Summary: A case of mistaken identity leads to the arrests of fellow officers. Complete. Please R & R.


I don't own the characters of "Nash Bridges"; they belong to Paramount and CBS. I   
don't know why; they aren't doing anything with them. This was written for enjoyment   
purposes only, so please remember…this is FICTION. The wonderful thing about the world   
we live in, is the diversity of the people who reside on her soils. Get to know them, learn   
their culture, enjoy their art, hear their music. Learn. Knowledge and understanding are the antidotes to hatred.  
  
Copyright 2001  
  
Code of Silence  
  
  
  
It was a cloudless night and the air had the crisp, cool feel to it that signaled the   
impending arrival of winter. A soft breeze shifted the fallen leaves and crumpled paper   
that littered the sidewalk. A pair of small, bright eyes watched the approaching figures   
and, frightened, the little animal bolted for safety.  
  
Leaning back against the leash, Harvey tried to keep King from running after the small   
cat that had suddenly darted out in front of them. It was a good thing he had seen the cat   
first. He was prepared for the big dog's sudden lunge as King tried to chase it, and   
managed to keep him from running out into the road. Harvey felt like his shoulder had   
been dislocated, but at least he wouldn't have to chase the dog for several blocks this   
time.  
  
"Heel, King! Man, you and I need to go to some of those dog obedience classes. What   
would you do if you actually caught a cat, anyway?" He watched as the little feline   
disappeared into the darkness. "Come on you big bully, it's getting late."  
  
Letting King lead the way home, Harvey yawned. It had been a long day, but at least it   
was Friday and, for once, he actually had the weekend off. He was going to spend a nice,   
quiet weekend at home. Just catching up on the household chores that he'd had to put off   
over the last week or two. Harvey mentally kicked himself for even thinking the word   
'quiet' when his cell phone buzzed in his jacket pocket. Tightening his grip on the leash,   
he pulled the phone from its pocket and flipped it open with a sigh. "Harvey Leek."  
  
A somewhat hushed voice answered on the other end. "Inspector Leek, it's Pepe. Can   
you meet me in about an hour?"  
  
"Pepe? What would this meeting be about and why are you calling me and not Nash or   
Joe?" Harvey was a little surprised to be getting a phone call from Pepe, considering he'd   
always dealt with either Nash or Joe in the past. He wasn't even sure how Pepe had   
gotten his cell phone number.  
  
"I have business cards from all the Inspectors at the SIU, from when I temped Halloween.   
I didn't call Nash or Joe because I didn't want to put them in any danger. Just meet me at   
Mickey's Place in about an hour. Please?"  
  
With a sigh, Harvey saw his nice quiet night with a beer, some Dead and a good book   
going right down the drain. "Okay, Pepe. I'll be there, but this had better be good."  
  
He shut the phone on Pepe's grateful jabbering and walked up his front steps to let King   
back in the house. Deciding he should change into something a little more conservative   
so he wouldn't stand out like a sore thumb in the gay bar, Harvey went upstairs.   
  
When he walked back down, he was a little less conspicuous in a pair of cargos and a   
sweater. Slipping his shoulder holster back on, he grabbed his leather jacket on the way   
to the door. "I'll be back in a little while, King. Don't eat the furniture."  
  
On the drive to Mickey's Place, Harvey pondered Pepe's mysterious reference to   
endangering Nash or Joe. He wondered what he was getting into, and why it was   
dangerous for those two and not himself. With Pepe…who knew?   
  
Pulling into a parking space about a block from the bar, Harvey glanced around as he   
headed for the front entrance. The bar wasn't as busy as he'd expect it to be on a Friday   
night. There were far fewer cars parked on the street than would be normal. A sudden   
gust of wind made him shiver as he went to open the door.  
  
Once inside, Harvey paused to let his eyes adjust to the funky lighting. He spotted Pepe   
at the bar and slid onto the bar stool next to him. "What's so important that you had to   
drag me here on my night off, Pepe?"  
  
Looking around, Pepe motioned for Harvey to follow and headed over to a table in the   
corner. He made sure they couldn't be overheard then leaned closer to Harvey.   
"Inspector, there's been several attacks on members of the gay community over the last   
few weeks. About ten that I know of, though nobody will file a complaint. Every time,   
it's happened when they left a bar. I didn't want to get Nash or Joe in on this because,   
well, I didn't want them to become victims. What if they went undercover and got beat   
up?"  
  
Rolling his eyes, Harvey smiled. "Pepe, Nash and Joe are not…"  
  
Interrupting, Pepe motioned at the room. "See. It's killing the bar's business. Sure, there   
are a lot of people here tonight, but this place should be packed by now. All of the   
victims are afraid to go to the police. One of the guys tonight told me of another beating   
that happened last night, so I decided to call you." He turned to cast Harvey a pleading   
look.  
  
Sighing, Harvey fidgeted with his ear for a moment. "Look, Pepe, this isn't exactly an   
SIU type of case. There's not much we can do until someone comes forward to file a   
report." Seeing the crestfallen look on the other man's face, Harvey held up a hand.   
"But, I'll talk to Nash and see what we can do, okay?"  
  
"Thank you, Inspector. I knew you would help." The attacks had been quite violent and   
a wave of fear had spread across the gay community. Pepe knew that Nash and his men   
would do something, if anyone would.  
  
When Harvey got up to leave, Pepe followed him outside. "I can't thank you enough for   
coming, Inspector Leek. I just didn't want to get Nash into any trouble, you understand."   
Pepe gave Harvey a happy, impulsive hug then went back into the bar.  
  
Shaking his head, Harvey started down the sidewalk to his car. Pepe was quite a   
character.   
  
From the shadows of the alley half a block from Mickey's Place, four men had witnessed   
the exchange in front of the bar. It seemed as if they had their victim for the night.   
  
Lost in thought, Harvey was caught completely by surprise when a stunning blow   
connected to the side of his head. He was grabbed by several men and shoved toward the   
darkened alley. He tried to fend them off, but was still slightly disoriented from the   
sucker punch to his head. A hand had been clamped over his mouth and Harvey turned   
his head, opened his mouth and bit down…hard. He was rewarded with a howl of pain,   
but before Harvey could let out a yell, a fist was driven into his stomach, robbing him of   
his breath.  
  
He couldn't make sense of anything. It was dark, but he was sure he recognized one of   
the assailants and that only doubled his confusion. He grappled with the four men, trying   
to free his arms. Fists came from every direction, landing with brutal force. Desperate to   
stop the assault, Harvey tried to identify himself. "Stop! I'm a…"  
  
A blow to his cheek cut him off and he reeled from the stunning pain. "No…" Once   
again, he was prevented from finishing his sentence. The whole left side of his head   
throbbed with pain. He could feel the warmth of the man's breath as one of his attackers   
leaned close to his ear.  
  
"We don't like your kind, you understand me? You just tell all your friends what   
happened to you tonight."  
  
That enigmatic remark was followed by a blow to Harvey's ribs, and he realized things   
were about to get worse. Throwing everything he had into getting loose, he finally tore   
one arm from his captor's grip and reached into his pocket. Pulling out his badge, he   
thrust it toward the man in front of him and gasped for air. "I'm a cop! Back off. Now."  
  
As soon as the arms released their hold, Harvey reached for his gun. The pounding of   
feet echoed down the alley as the four men ran off. Breathless and dizzy, Harvey left the   
weapon in its holster and leaned against the wall. Sliding to the ground, he reached up to   
wipe away the wetness on his face. He knew it was blood, but wasn't sure exactly where   
it was coming from. He couldn't seem to gather his scattered thoughts.   
  
The sound of squealing tires woke him with a start. Harvey blinked, staring at the   
yellowed piece of newspaper inches from his nose. Memory was slow to return, as he sat   
up and looked around the dingy alley. Harvey wondered how long he'd been out.   
  
He tried to stand, but couldn't stay on his feet. His ribs hurt so bad that movement was   
inadvisable. His head pounded, his face throbbed and he didn't even want to think about   
the damage that might be inside his belly. Harvey lay on the grimy concrete and curled   
around the pain in his middle. After a few moments, he slowly reached into his jacket   
pocket and pulled out his cell phone. There was only one thing to do.  
  
Stretching his arm to turn on the bedside lamp, Nash groaned. Just when he thought he   
was going to get one uninterrupted night's sleep, the phone had to ring. He rubbed his   
eyes then reached for the handset. "Nash Bridges. This better be important."  
  
When all he could hear was heavy breathing, Nash sighed and rubbed a hand over his   
face. "Look, bubba. You just woke up a cop to play your stupid phone prank. I'm going   
to have this call traced, then I'm gonna hunt your ass down. Get me?"  
  
"Nash. Oh…man."  
  
A funny feeling settled in the pit of Nash's stomach when he recognized the pain-filled   
voice on the other end. "Harvey?"  
  
"Nash, I need…I can't…oh, god."  
  
"Harvey!" Nash was already climbing out of the bed. He held the handset between his   
shoulder and ear as he reached for the slacks he'd folded over the chair by his bed.   
"Harvey, answer me!"  
  
He could hear Harvey's harsh breathing then another moan of pain. "I'm in an alley.   
Next to Mickey's Place. Four guys jumped me."  
  
Pulling on his pants, Nash glanced at the clock. "Look, Harvey, just stay there. I'm on   
my way, and I'll send some unies. Just hang on, okay?"  
  
"Boss…I couldn't move…if I wanted to."  
  
Damn. "I'll be there as fast as the 'Cuda can go, I promise. I want you to hang up and I'll   
call you back on the cell phone. You hear me?"  
  
"Okay, boss."  
  
Dropping the handset back in its cradle, Nash threw on the rest of his clothes and   
snatched up his cell phone. Dialing Harvey's cell number, he was relieved when it was   
answered on the first ring. "Harvey? Still with me, bubba?"  
  
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm still here, Nash."  
  
"Hang on, Harv. Can you tell me what happened?" The elevator seemed to take forever   
on its trip to the ground floor. When it reached bottom, Nash threw open the gate and   
jogged to the 'Cuda.  
  
"Uh…Pepe called. He…he wanted me to meet him…um…Mickey's Place."   
  
The muscle car started with a rumble and Nash shoved it into gear and stepped on the   
gas. "Harvey, you still with me?"  
  
"Yeah. Nash, I…uh…it's getting hard to think."  
  
"You just stay with me, bubba. Pepe called you and told you to meet him at Mickey's   
Place. Did he tell you why?" Reaching for the radio mic, Nash called in Harvey's   
location and had them dispatch some backup.  
  
"Yeah. I…um…met him in the bar. He…he said…people were beating up guys when   
they…left the clubs. Nobody would report it. Those men, they thought…I think…they   
thought I was gay, Nash."  
  
"Did you see who attacked you? Would you recognize them again?"  
  
"I…maybe two…it was too dark, Nash."  
  
Confused by the contradiction in Harvey's statement, Nash elected to let is slide for the   
moment. "Did you see anything, Harvey? Their clothes, hair color…anything like that?"  
  
"Too dark. Um…I need to think. Sleepy."  
  
"I need you to stay awake, Harv. I'm almost there. Harvey?" All he heard was a clatter   
as the phone was apparently dropped and the distant sound of sirens. "Harvey?"  
  
Nash pressed his foot down further on the gas pedal, as he strained to hear any sounds   
coming from Harvey. After what seemed like an eternity, he heard muffled noises then a   
different voice on the other end. "Captain Bridges?"  
  
"Yes, this is Captain Bridges. How is he?"  
  
"Sir, this is Officer Ayers speaking. Looks like they beat the hell out of Inspector Leek.   
My partner's already called for an ambulance, sir."  
  
With a heavy sigh, Nash turned the next corner. He was almost there. "Look, Ayers, do   
you have a camera in your unit?"  
  
"Yes, sir. Do you want us to take some crime scene photos?"  
  
"Yes. Do it now, before he's moved. When we catch the bastards that did this, and we   
will catch them, I want everything done by the book and all our bases covered."  
  
"Consider it done, Captain."  
  
Closing the phone and dropping it in his jacket pocket, Nash gripped the wheel with both   
hands, squeezing until his knuckles whitened. No way was anyone going to get away   
with attacking one of his team members. No way.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Opening his eyes, Harvey immediately shut them again. There was a light flashing in his   
face, and it hurt his already pounding head. He waited a moment then tried again. Out of   
the corner of his eyes, he saw the light flash again and, this time, he made the connection.   
Someone was taking photographs.  
  
He made an attempt to sit up, but didn't get past stretching out his legs. As soon as he   
tried to uncurl, the pain in his stomach and ribs escalated and he changed his mind.   
Tucking his knees back up, Harvey let out a groan. Feeling hands grabbing him, he tried   
to shake them off. He relaxed again when he heard a familiar voice.  
  
His left eye was already starting to swell shut, but he could still make out the figure that   
knelt to be in his limited line of sight. Nash. Harvey let out a little sigh of relief. He   
knew Nash would take care of everything.  
  
"Harvey, just stay still. Okay, bubba? The ambulance is on its way." Nash swallowed   
against the bile rising in his throat. Somebody had really worked Harvey over. Why in   
the world had Pepe called Harvey and not Joe or himself? It could just as easily have   
been one of them lying in the alley.  
  
Hearing the ambulance pull up in the street, Nash reached out to give Harvey's shoulder a   
squeeze, then stood back to give the medics room to work. Walking over to join Ayers,   
Nash looked around the alley. "Have you or your partner found anything?"  
  
"Other than some tread marks at the back of the alley, no. We took some photos of the   
tread and marked it off. My partner is in the bar, taking statements from everyone."  
  
Pinching his lower lip in concentration, Nash nodded. "Okay, good job. Look, this is   
going to be an SIU case, so make sure your report and those photos get sent to me,   
understand?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Seeing that Harvey was being loaded into the ambulance, Nash hurried to catch up.   
Resting a hand on Harvey's arm, he smiled reassuringly. "I'll catch up to you, Harv. I   
need to go talk to Pepe and make a few phone calls. I'll see you at the hospital."  
  
"Okay, boss." The doors were slammed shut before Harvey could say anything else.   
  
Watching as the ambulance pulled away, Nash shook his head. He couldn't understand   
why this kind of thing still happened. It was the 1990s for crying out loud.   
  
Ducking under the yellow crime scene tape, Nash made his way to the bar. The fear that   
permeated the room was almost palpable. He found Pepe sitting on a stool, talking to a   
uniformed officer. Some of Nash's anger dissipated when he saw the look of devastation   
on Pepe's face. Taking the officer aside, Nash whispered a few instructions then led Pepe   
over to a corner table. Sitting down and resting his elbows on the table, Nash shook his   
head.  
  
"Pepe, why didn't you call me if you had something important to say? Harvey said you   
wanted to talk about a rash of hate crimes."   
  
Feeling somewhat responsible for what had befallen Inspector Leek, Pepe stared back at   
Nash with a look of remorse. "Nash, I didn't mean for anything to happen to Inspector   
Leek, believe me. I called him because I didn't want you or Joe to come down here and   
possibly get hurt. I thought he'd be safe."  
  
"Pepe, why did you think Joe or I would be in any danger?"  
  
"Because you're gay, Nash."  
  
Dropping his head with a sigh, Nash rubbed his brow. "For the last time, Pepe, Joe and I   
are not gay!" He couldn't believe Harvey had had the crap beat out of him because of a   
misunderstanding. "Look, Pepe, I want you to tell me everything you told Inspector   
Leek. Got me?"  
  
With a nod, Pepe told his story for the second time that night, ending with leaving Harvey   
outside the bar. "I'm really sorry, Nash. If there's anything I can do…"  
  
"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you came to us for help, but next time call me, okay?   
We'll be looking into this, Pepe. If you hear anything else, call the SIU."  
  
Shaking Nash's hand in relief, Pepe nodded earnestly. "Oh, I will, Nash. You have my   
word. This whole thing has been just terrible."  
  
Untangling himself from Pepe's grip, Nash headed back outside to the 'Cuda. As he   
dropped tiredly into the driver's seat, he pulled out his cell phone to make a few calls.   
Dialing Joe's number as he drove to the hospital, he waited impatiently for an answer.  
  
"Dominguez."  
  
"Joe, listen, something's happened. Harvey got a call from Pepe and met him at a bar.   
He was ambushed on his way back to his car and hurt pretty bad. I'm on my way to the   
hospital to see how he's doing."  
  
"Do you want me to meet you there, Nash?"  
  
"Yeah, and do me a favor, would you? Give Evan a call and let him know what's going   
on, okay?"  
  
"Consider it done, Nashman."  
"Thanks, bubba."  
  
Hanging up with Nash, Joe tried to get out of bed without waking Inger. He should have   
known it wouldn't work.  
  
"Joe? Was that Nash on the phone?"  
  
"Yeah, honey, go back to sleep. I've got to go in for a while. I may end up working   
through the night, but I'll see you tomorrow." He attempted to get dressed in the dark,   
but Inger clicked on the bedside lamp.  
  
"Why do you have to go in so late? Did anything happen to Nash?" Sitting up in the   
bed, Inger watched her husband struggle into his clothes.  
  
"No, honey, Nash is fine. It's Harvey. Nash said he was ambushed and he's in the   
hospital. I've got to meet them there." Joe finished tying his shoes and scooped his keys   
and change off the nightstand and stuffed them in his pockets.  
  
"Oh, poor Harvey. Joe, I will go over and take care of King in the morning, okay?"  
  
Giving his wife a quick kiss, Joe smiled. "That would be great, Inger. I'm sure Harvey   
would appreciate it. So would King." They shared a quick laugh then Joe closed the   
bedroom door behind him as he left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Friday nights were always busy in the ER, and this night was no exception. Having been   
unable to snag a nurse to get a room number, Joe had to peek into several rooms to find   
the one with Harvey. Joe grimaced when he got a good look at him. Harvey's lips were   
swollen, as was most of the left side of his face. Bruises were already forming, and his   
left eye was almost completely shut. Joe suspected that bruises also covered a lot of what   
was hidden by the hospital gown and sheet. "Damn, Harvey, you don't look so good."  
  
Trying to smile around his split and swollen lip, Harvey braced an arm against his sore   
ribcage and attempted to shift to a more comfortable position. He couldn't find one.   
"Well, I haven't looked in a mirror yet, but from the feel of it…I imagine I look pretty   
bad. It could've been a lot worse if they hadn't backed off when they did."  
  
As Joe was about to start asking questions, Nash walked into the room with a frown. "I   
talked to the CSU guys and they didn't get anything. That tread is all we have right now.   
Nobody saw anything, naturally. Joe, did you call Evan?"  
  
"Yeah, Nash. He's on his way."  
  
"Okay, good. I called Pepe and told him to meet us at the SIU. I want to find out if he   
knows any of the previous victims of these guys. Harvey, are you sure you didn't   
recognize any of those men? See anything that might help us catch them?"  
  
Scratching at the stitches in his left brow, Harvey avoided looking his boss in the eye. "I   
don't think so Nash. It was pretty dark, and it happened so fast. Maybe if I sleep on   
it…think about it some more."  
  
Exchanging puzzled glances with Joe, Nash leaned against the bedrails. "Harvey, are you   
sure?" Nash couldn't understand the conflicting emotions that played across Harvey's   
battered face.  
  
"I don't know, boss. Let me think about it, okay? Maybe I'll remember something."   
Harvey couldn't voice his suspicions just yet. He needed time to work things out, first.   
He needed a few minutes alone.  
  
"Okay, Harv. Listen, they'll be taking you upstairs soon. We'll check back with you in   
the morning. In the meantime…give it some thought, bubba." With a jerk of his head,   
Nash motioned for Joe to follow him outside. They'd just have to leave Harvey to work   
out whatever was bothering him. He knew that, in the end, Harvey would do the right   
thing.  
  
Watching the door swing shut behind them as they left, Harvey sighed and stared up at   
the ceiling. He knew the minute he told Nash that he recognized two of the men as   
fellow cops…he'd be bringing a storm upon himself like he'd never seen. Yet, he   
couldn't let those men continue with what they were doing.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So, what do you think that was all about, Nash?" Joe had to raise his voice to be heard   
over the 'Cuda's powerful Hemi engine.   
  
"I don't know, bubba. Harvey keeps contradicting himself. I think he saw something or   
maybe recognized somebody, but for some reason…can't decide if he wants to tell me or   
not." Nash was stumped. He just couldn't understand what was going through Harvey's   
head.  
  
"That doesn't really sound like Harvey, man."  
  
"No, it doesn't. Look, he'll think about whatever is bothering him and, in the morning,   
he'll tell me."  
  
"Are you sure, Nashman?" Joe was skeptical. Why would Harvey need to think about   
anything? Either he saw something or he didn't.   
  
"I'm sure, Joe. Trust me." Glancing in his mirrors, Nash swung into the next lane to   
make the turn toward the pier. "What did Evan say when you called him back?"  
  
"He's not too thrilled at having to meet us at the SIU, instead of checking on Harvey."  
  
"No doubt." Nash chuckled quietly. He knew how he'd feel if he were in Evan's shoes,   
and it was Joe in the hospital. "But, Harvey has some heavy-duty thinking to do and we   
need Evan to help us out with this."   
  
Joe had been right, Evan was not happy with them. They could see him pacing the floor   
as soon as they walked through the doors of the SIU. Heading over to his desk, Nash   
held up a hand to forestall Evan's questions. "Harvey's going to be fine, Evan. Sore, but   
fine. Where's Pepe?"  
  
"He's out on the fantail, boss." Evan ran a hand through his hair, trying to dampen his   
anger a bit.  
  
"Let's get him and see if we can figure out what's going on."   
  
Settling at the interrogation table, Nash leaned his elbows on the wooden surface and   
peered intently at Pepe. "Pepe, you said that there have been several men jumped by   
these guys over the last few weeks. Do you know any of these victims? We need some   
names."  
  
"Nash, I don't think they'll talk to you. They're afraid. A lot of people are scared right   
now." Pepe looked out at the lights reflecting off the bay. He didn't want to admit that he   
was afraid, as well.   
  
Sliding a writing tablet across the table, Joe handed Pepe a pen. "Just write down the   
names, Pepe, we'll take care of the rest."  
  
Taking the pen, somewhat reluctantly, Pepe wrote the names of the men he knew for sure   
had been attacked. There may have been many more, but these were the only ones he   
was certain of.  
  
When Pepe slid the tablet back across the table, Nash looked at the list. It was a   
depressingly long one. "Pepe, how come we're just now hearing about this? There are a   
dozen names on this list."  
  
"I don't know, Nash. Those men were scared of something. They said talking to the cops   
wouldn't do anything."  
  
"What did they mean by that?" Nash frowned and glanced at Joe. There was something   
going on that was more than your average hate crime.  
  
Shaking his head, Pepe shrugged. "They just said that going to the cops wouldn't   
accomplish anything. I think the men who attacked them also warned them against   
reporting it."  
  
"Maybe." Nash rubbed his lip, deep in thought.  
  
"Nashman, what are you thinking?"  
  
"I don't know yet, Joe. I think Harvey has the answer I'm looking for and it'll have to   
wait until morning." Peering at his watch, Nash let out a loud sigh. "Okay, it's late and   
there's not much we can do right now. You guys go home and catch some sleep. We'll   
start tracking these victims in the morning."  
Having spent a restless night, Harvey stared morosely at his breakfast. He knew all along   
he'd tell Nash that he'd recognized two of the men; he had just needed some time. Time   
to adjust to the fallout he knew would be coming his way the minute he made his   
accusations. Life for the next few weeks, or longer, wasn't going to be pleasant. Harvey   
wasn't sure at the moment that he had enough energy to survive it.   
  
Hearing the click of footsteps on the tiled floor, he looked up from his plate to see Nash   
standing in the door. Waving his boss into the room, Harvey pushed the tray away.   
There was no way his stomach was going to tolerate food at the moment.  
  
Making a sweeping gesture from Harvey's head to his toes, Nash smiled. "So, what was   
the overall damage?"  
  
Mindful of his torn lip, Harvey managed a small grimace. "Don't ask. The good news   
was that nothing was broken. The bad news was that I'm going to hurt like hell for   
several days."  
  
Nodding his head in understanding, Nash pulled a chair next to the bed. Sitting down, he   
leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. It was time to get to the bottom of   
whatever was going on. "Harvey, I need you to tell me what's bothering you. I know you   
saw something last night. What was it?"  
  
Fidgeting with his earlobe, Harvey breathed a sigh and took his first step towards   
purgatory.  
  
"I know who two of the men are. I worked with both of them in the Tenderloin years   
ago." Harvey paused to let that sink in, watching Nash's face.  
  
Dropping his head, Nash rubbed a hand over his face. This was not good. "Harvey, are   
you absolutely certain?"  
  
"Darren Michaels and Gavin Pepper. I saw Gavin's face, and recognized Darren's   
gravelly voice when he spoke to me. I don't know who the other two are, but I'll give you   
odds that they're cops as well. One of them probably has some pretty bad teeth marks in   
his right hand."  
  
"If you recognized them, why didn't they recognize you?" Nash needed to be sure that   
this was a case of mistaken identity…and not that Harvey had been specifically marked.  
  
"It was dark, Nash. It was only a fluke that Gavin turned his face just right for me to   
catch a quick glimpse. Besides, I was still in uniform when we all worked together. I've   
only seen them once or twice since then, and tonight I wasn't wearing what I usually   
wear." Harvey shifted in the bed and winced. He was certainly grateful the men had quit   
the minute he'd shown his badge.  
  
"As soon as I managed to get an arm free to reach my badge, they took off. They hadn't   
set out to grab a cop. It was random, Nash."  
  
"Okay. I'll have to call MCD in on this one, then. Harvey?" Nash looked his friend in   
the eyes, trying to show his support. "This may not be easy, but I'm behind you all the   
way, bubba. Arresting fellow cops is not going to make us very popular, as I'm sure you   
know."  
  
"I know, Nash. I know I should've told you last night, but…I just wanted some time.   
This isn't going to be easy."  
  
"The hard choices never are, bubba."   
  
They shared a look of resignation then Nash stood and gave Harvey's shoulder a gentle   
squeeze. "Get some rest, Harv. When they spring you from this joint, I'll need you to   
come down to the SIU to ID Gavin and Darren. In the meantime, we'll see if we can   
scare up their two cohorts."  
  
Nodding, Harvey watched as Nash left the room. Dropping his head back on his pillow,   
he stared up at the ceiling tiles. He wished he'd never answered his phone.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Standing on the front porch, Nash knocked on the door. He was glad he'd sent Joe with   
Evan to pick Gavin up. He didn't think Evan could control his anger and wanted   
someone there to keep the young cop in check. He was having enough trouble   
controlling his own temper.  
  
The door was opened by a pretty young woman, snapping Nash out of his reverie.   
Smiling grimly, Nash held up his badge. "SFPD, ma'am, Captain Bridges. Is Darren   
Michaels home? I need to speak to him for a moment."  
  
Unsure what was going on, the young woman shook her head. "My husband left this   
morning to put new tires on the car." She attempted a nervous laugh. "I don't know what   
he does in that car. We put new tires on it not too long ago."  
  
Casting her a seraphic smile, Nash slipped his badge back in his pocket. "You don't say?   
Do you mind if I just wait for him? It's very important that I ask him a few questions   
about a fellow officer."  
  
A little hesitant, she stepped back and let Nash enter. Waving him toward the living   
room, she picked up scattered toys as they walked. "You'll have to excuse the mess. I'm   
afraid with two small children, the house is full of their toys and things."  
  
Nash just smiled, trying to reassure the nervous woman. "I have a daughter, so I know   
what it's like."   
  
Once he was settled on the couch, Mrs. Michaels went to the kitchen and returned with   
two cups of coffee. Handing one to Nash, she sat down in a leather chair facing him. "Is   
this about his undercover job last night?"  
  
Taking a moment to frame his next question, Nash sipped the hot coffee. "I'm sorry Mrs.   
Michaels, I didn't realize your husband worked a gig last night. I'm head of the Special   
Investigations Unit. Did he tell you what kind of job he was working?"  
  
"Oh, no. He never gives me any details. I just know he was working on something and   
he got home very late. The job must not have gone well, though, because he was very   
upset and paced the floor most of the night."  
  
They both looked up at the sound of the front door opening and Nash smiled over his cup   
of coffee at the stricken look on Darren's face.   
  
"Captain Bridges, what are you doing here?" Darren looked from Nash, to his wife. He   
felt a brief moment of panic, wondering what she might have told him. "Mary, will you   
give us a few minutes?"  
  
Puzzled and a little worried by her husbands reaction, Mary hesitated a moment then   
went upstairs to check on their children.  
  
After resting his cup on a side table, Nash stood and gestured toward the front door.   
"Let's go, Darren. I need you to come to the SIU to answer a few questions."  
  
"And if I refuse?"  
  
"I'll read you your rights and slap you in handcuffs, but I think we should spare your wife   
and children that spectacle, don't you?" Nash was barely able to keep a lid on his anger   
and if Darren gave him any trouble, the man was going to find himself in a world of hurt.  
  
Glancing up the stairs, Darren's brow wrinkled and he nodded. "I don't know what this is   
about, but let's go. I don't want my wife to worry." Shouting up the stairs that he was   
going to the station for a little while, Darren willingly followed Nash out to the 'Cuda.  
  
As he pulled out into the street, Nash wondered if Joe and Evan were able to pick their   
guy up so easily.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Parked in front of Gavin's apartment building, Joe wondered how long they were going to   
have to wait for the man to show up. He glanced over at Evan, sitting in the passenger   
seat, and watched the young man seethe with anger. He was going to have his hands full   
keeping Evan from killing Gavin. Joe was grateful Evan hadn't had a chance to see   
Harvey yet, or there'd be no controlling him.  
  
Seeing Gavin turn the corner, jogging toward his apartment building, Joe gave Evan a   
nudge. "There he is. Evan, take it easy, okay? We don't want anything to go wrong with   
this case."  
  
Evan gave a short nod, his jaw clenched in barely controlled anger. Opening the door, he   
followed Joe across the street.  
  
Cutting Gavin off before he could reach the front steps to his apartment, Joe held up his   
badge. "Gavin Pepper? Dominguez and Cortez, SIU. We need you to come with us to   
answer some questions."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Staring across the table at Gavin, Nash could see Evan's pacing from the corner of his   
eye. Questioning a fellow police officer was going to be bad enough, but Evan's   
mounting anger could make a difficult situation worse. Besides, Nash didn't need the   
distraction. "Evan? I need you to go put in a call to the Union and have them send a rep   
down here."  
  
Evan stopped his pacing and stared at his boss in astonishment. "Nash, I want to hear   
what this dirtbag has to say."  
  
Getting up from his chair, Nash led Evan back toward the bow. "Evan, there are several   
things I need you to do for me. One: get a Union rep down here. I want this to go by the   
book. Second: find out from Darren's wife where he took his car to get new tires. See if   
they still have the old tires so we can get a match with the tread. Third: call Dr. Peter   
Jacobs; his number's in my rolodex. He's a dentist and I want him to get a mold of   
Harvey's teeth. If we manage to find the other two, I want Jacobs to compare the mold   
with the teeth marks we're likely to find on one of them. Last but not least: find out who   
is partnered with Michaels and Pepper. I'll give you odds that they're the missing two."  
  
Clenching and unclenching his hands a few times, Evan took a deep breath. He knew   
Nash was trying to keep him away from the ferry for most of the day, but he also knew   
that those things had to be done and would help Harvey in the long run. "I'm on it. I'll let   
you know what I find out. Nash? Is it alright if I stop by, when I get a chance, to check   
on Harv?"  
  
Nash slapped the younger man on the back and smiled with understanding. "Of course it   
is, Evan. Tell him we all said hello, will you?"  
  
"Will do. I'll call you later."  
  
Watching Evan leave, Nash sighed. This was one long, difficult road they were about to   
travel…and the journey was going to change them all.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Staring at the door after Evan left, Harvey picked at the tape securing the IV to the back   
of his hand. His partner had been a little shocked when he'd entered the room and got his   
first glimpse of what those four men, fellow cops, had done. Harvey took another drink   
of water from the cup sitting by his bed. He knew he was just being paranoid, but he   
swore he could still taste some of the stuff the dentist had used to make a mold of his   
teeth.  
  
The whole process of being a victim was humiliating. The session with the dentist, the   
endless questions and, most degrading of all, the pictures. The police photographer had   
taken endless pictures of the damage left behind by the previous night's assault. Part of   
his mind knew it all was necessary, but part of him couldn't help feeling violated in some   
way. As if that wasn't bad enough…the phone calls had already begun.  
  
Gavin and Darren had only been in custody six hours when Harvey got the first phone   
call. Nothing works faster than the police grapevine, he thought wryly. By the time he   
got home, his answering machine would probably be filled with the same spiteful, almost   
threatening messages. He'd done the unthinkable. He had turned in his fellow officers.  
  
Picking up the phone's receiver, Harvey dialed the hospital operator and requested that   
only calls from Nash Bridges, Joe Dominguez or Evan Cortez be put through to his room.   
It would be a short reprieve, but he needed every peaceful moment he could get.  
  
Startled by a knock on his door, Harvey was surprised to see Inger standing in the   
doorway. "Come in, Inger. What brings you here?"  
  
Smiling as she leaned over to gently kiss Harvey's bruised cheek, Inger sat a white paper   
bag on the bedside table. "I came to see you, silly. Why else would I be here?"  
  
Harvey returned her smile and gestured to the chair next to his bed. "Have a seat and   
visit with me for a minute. How's Lucia?"  
  
"Oh she's just wonderful, Harvey. Growing every day." Looking around, as if to be sure   
they weren't overheard, Inger picked up the white bag and set it in Harvey's lap. "I   
smuggled in some real food for you. I didn't want to get anything too spicy or anything,   
so I just got you a deli sandwich and a small pasta salad. I didn't know how badly you   
were hurt and didn't want to get anything that might be bad for you."  
  
Taken aback by her kindness, Harvey smiled conspiratorially. "Nothing can be as bad for   
me as the stuff this hospital calls food. Thank you, Inger, that was incredibly thoughtful   
of you."  
  
"It was nothing, Harvey. You would do the same for Joe. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I am   
taking care of King for you. I got your key from Nash. Lucia really seems to like King   
and I have a hard time prying her away from him."  
  
Harvey dug the sandwich from the bag, the aroma making his mouth water. "Well, when   
I get out of here, you'll have to bring her by from time to time for a visit. King loves   
children and Lucia would be good exercise for him, no doubt."  
  
As he ate his sandwich, taking small bites and chewing carefully, listening to Inger talk   
of Lucia, Joe and other things, Harvey marveled at how lucky he was to have found such   
good friends. They weren't just co-workers, but family. He was grateful for that. He'd   
need all of them before everything was said and done.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Leaning forward, watching the nervous man chew on his thumbnail, Nash narrowed his   
eyes and slapped the palm of his hand on the table, making the man jump. They'd   
questioned Gavin then Darren, and were back with Gavin. Neither would confess to any   
wrongdoing and Nash was running out of patience.   
  
Joe tossed a thick file in front of Gavin with a look of disgust. "You're a real piece of   
work, aren't you Gavin? You see somebody different than you so you resort to beating   
them up? Take a look in this file, Gavin, and you'll see the record of a decorated police   
inspector. The man you and your buddies put in the hospital."  
  
Gavin glanced down at the name on the file and winced. He shifted uneasily on the hard   
wooden chair, unable to meet Joe's eyes.  
  
Opening the file, Joe read a few of the notations, stabbing his finger at the last one.   
"Decorated for his actions in disabling a bomb in the High Tower Plaza Hotel, saving   
untold lives." Slapping the file closed and sliding it toward Nash, Joe sat down at the   
table and leaned back in his chair, waiting.  
  
Wiping a hand over his face in anger and frustration when Gavin still refused to speak,   
Nash gestured to Ronnie. "Take him back to holding, Ronnie. Give him time to think   
about his future."  
  
Grabbing Gavin by the arm, Ronnie practically yanked him out of the chair. Glaring at   
the officer, fighting anger and disgust, he led Gavin off to holding. If there was one thing   
Ronnie couldn't abide…it was a dirty cop.  
  
Looking down at Harvey's file, Nash rubbed a finder along his lip. "Joe, has Evan called   
in yet? We're wasting our time, here. Those two aren't going to say anything. We need   
tangible evidence."  
  
"Yeah, he called a short while ago and said he was on his way to see Harvey then was   
going to check out the partners of Michaels and Pepper. He should call in again, soon.   
He did say he managed to find the tires from Darren's car. They're on their way to have   
the tread compared with what was found at the scene."  
  
Nash nodded in satisfaction, picking up the file as he stood and walking over to look out   
across the bay. "MCD is sending someone over here and I've got to meet with him. Let   
me know the minute Evan gets back."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The news had spread along the grapevine at record speed, Evan thought as he walked into   
the Tenderloin station. He was already receiving some dirty looks from people who   
knew he was there to investigate fellow officers. To be fair, he also had officers walking   
up to him to give him a few words of support. Evan wondered how the dissention among   
the ranks was affecting morale at the station.  
  
He headed into the locker room, looking for Paul Keller. Keller was Gavin's partner, and   
just coming off an overtime shift. Evan had been disappointed to learn that Darren's   
partner was a woman. There was no way she was the fourth attacker. Harvey had been   
very sure that all four were men. Evan would just have to hope that Keller would give up   
the fourth man.   
  
In the locker room, he glanced around at the officers in different stages of undress and   
ignored the stony looks cast his way. As Evan approached the blond man by the far row   
of lockers, the man raised his right hand to comb his fingers through his damp hair. Evan   
froze for a moment, then all of his pent up anger burst free at the sight of the teeth marks   
on the man's hand.  
  
The locker room erupted in chaos as Evan threw himself at Keller, yelling invectives.   
Officers jumped forward to restrain both men, and it was all they could do to keep a grip   
on Evan. A loud voice bellowed from the door and all commotion ceased, except for   
Evan and the two men holding him up against a locker.  
  
The owner of the loud voice stepped into the room as officers backed away from him.   
"What in the hell is going on here?"  
  
One of the men holding onto Evan released his grip and took a step back. "This guy tried   
to jump Keller, Captain Havers. We were just trying to break it up, that's all."  
  
Staring at Evan, who was mopping at the blood flowing from his nose, the captain closed   
his eyes and sighed. As if he didn't have enough to deal with. "It looks like you guys   
decided to get in a few shots while you were at it. Let him go. He's here to take Keller   
over to the SIU for questioning in the assault of a fellow officer, as I'm sure you are all   
aware by now." Glaring pointedly at Evan, Captain Havers frowned. "If he can control   
his behavior while alone in a car with Keller."  
  
Jerking his other arm free, Evan struggled to regain control of his temper. Taking a   
calming breath, Evan pasted a contrite look on his face. "I'm sorry, sir. I shouldn't have   
lost my temper like that. I just left the hospital after checking on my partner and I know   
it's no excuse, but…"   
  
"No, son, it isn't. I remember what the bond is like between partners, but you'll be doing   
your partner no good, if you can't learn to control your emotions. Do I make myself   
clear?" Although his tone indicated censure, his expression showed understanding.  
  
"Yes sir." Evan grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser to staunch the flow of blood   
from his nose, and gestured for Keller to precede him out of the locker room. He felt   
everyone's eyes boring into his back as they left. He led Keller out to his truck, not   
saying a word, afraid he'd lose his fragile grip on his temper. The ride to the SIU was   
made in complete silence.  
  
When they walked onto the ferry, Evan had Ronnie take Keller to interrogation while he   
stopped at Nash's desk. By the look on his boss' face, Evan knew Capt. Havers had   
already made a phone call.  
  
"Want to explain to me what happened, bubba?" Nash needed to know that Evan could   
be counted on during their investigation.  
  
"Look, Nash, I'm sorry. When I saw the teeth marks on that guy's hand, I just lost it. I   
know I shouldn't have and I have no excuse, but it won't happen again." He was walking   
a thin line and he knew it.  
  
"Evan, I need to know that you have your head in the game. Believe me, I understand   
where you're coming from, but this is not what Harvey needs right now. I need to be able   
to depend on you and so does Harvey. So, I trust that this won't happen again?"  
  
"It won't, Nash. You have my word." Evan felt a sense of relief that he wasn't about to   
be sidelined. He'd almost blown it.  
  
"I'll hold you to that, bubba. Now, let's go see what Mr. Keller has to say, shall we?   
Come on, Joe." Picking up a small box from his desk, Nash led the other two to the back   
of the ferry, where Keller waited for them at the interrogation table.   
  
Smiling at the furtive glances Keller kept casting toward Ronnie, Nash sat in the chair   
across from the suspect. Pushing the little box around in a circle, Nash stared across at   
the officer and waited for him to start talking. He didn't have to wait long.  
  
"I'd like to know what I'm doing here. I'm a cop for Pete's sake; what are you guys trying   
to pull?" Again, Keller glanced nervously at the hulking figure standing off to his side.   
Ronnie's glare was definitely making him sweat.  
  
Leaning forward, Nash smiled at Evan. "Ev, do me a favor. Call Dr. Jacobs and get him   
down here for me. I want him to make the ID and to sign a statement for me."  
  
"Will do, boss." Evan also smiled. He knew that mold of Harvey's teeth would perfectly   
match the teeth marks in Keller's hand. They had physical evidence to use against this   
guy. This one would talk.  
  
Opening the box, Nash slid it over to Joe, who sat next to Keller. "Joe, you want to do   
the honors?"  
  
"I'd be happy to, Nashman." Joe removed one of the molds from the box and reached for   
Keller's hand. He looked at the teeth marks, and turned the hand over so that the marks   
on the back of the hand were on top. Placing the mold over the small wounds, he smiled.   
It was a perfect match. "Well, well. It's a perfect match, Nash. Looks like Harv bit the   
hell out of this guy."  
  
Nash stood and placed his palms on the table, fixing his stare on Keller. "That's all the   
evidence we need, Keller. That right there proves you were one of the men that attacked   
Inspector Leek last night. Now the questions is: are you going to go down alone?"  
  
He and Joe waited for Keller to start talking, but the man just stared sullenly back.   
Shaking his head, Nash waved a hand at him. "Ronnie, take him over to holding. We'll   
let him picture what his life will be like, behind bars. Maybe he'll come to his senses."  
  
"You got it, boss." Jerking Keller from his chair, Ronnie led him over to the cage.  
  
Watching as Nash went to lean against the railing, Joe put the lid back on the small box.   
He decided to give his friend a little time to calm down and picked up the box, heading   
back to his desk. As he passed Evan, Joe noticed him eyeing a young woman standing   
nearby. From the way the woman held herself, he knew instantly that this was one lady   
that wouldn't fall for Evan's charms. Dropping the box onto Nash's desk, Joe cleared his   
throat to get the woman's attention. "Excuse me, I'm Inspector Joe Dominguez. Can I   
help you with something?"  
  
The visitor eyed him up and down once then smiled politely. "I'm here to see Captain   
Bridges. My name is Caitlin Cross and I'm from MCD. I understand you're holding   
three officers here."  
  
"Uh, yes ma'am, we are and they're in holding cells. Nash is back by the fantail." Seeing   
the blank look on her face, Joe smiled and waved an arm toward the back. "I'll show   
you."  
  
He led her back to Nash and made the introductions, then left Nash to deal with MCD as   
he glanced at his watch. It was time to go home. "Evan, time to close up shop."  
  
"What about Dr. Jacobs? Shouldn't someone be here when he comes down?"  
  
"Don't worry, Nash'll still be here. I have a feeling he's just met his match." Chuckling at   
Evan's puzzled expression, Joe slipped on his coat and grabbed his keys. "Go home,   
Evan. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. We're still missing a suspect."   
  
"We'll find him, Joe. One of those guys will eventually turn on the others to save   
himself. We've got the bite marks on Keller, and I just got the call that the tread on the   
tires removed from Darren's car match the marks left at the scene. One of them is bound   
to crack sooner or later."  
  
"Yeah, well, I hope it's sooner rather than later, Evan. See you tomorrow." Joe walked   
out to his car and thought about driving by the hospital, but changed his mind. Lucia   
would be asleep soon, and he wanted to spend a little time with his baby girl. He had a   
feeling the workdays were about to get longer.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Shutting the door behind him, Harvey had a hard time fending of an exuberant King. He   
was glad to be home. Two days in the hospital were more than enough. He was grateful   
to Inger for having taken care of King for him the last two days. When Harvey wandered   
into the kitchen for a glass of water, he realized she'd also washed the dishes that he'd   
intended to do the night he got Pepe's phone call. He couldn't ask for better friends.  
  
Nash had kept him apprised of the situation at work. The fourth assailant had yet to be   
found, and the other three weren't talking yet. The only ones that Nash felt certain would   
be convicted were Darren and Keller. As for Gavin, it was Harvey's word against his.   
He didn't look forward to that battle in court. It would get ugly, before all was said and   
done.  
  
Harvey went to the Dead room and put on "American Beauty", then winced his way up   
the stairs to his bedroom. He grabbed some clean clothes and headed into the bathroom.   
Maybe a hot shower would relieve some of the ache.  
  
By the time he'd run out of hot water, he was feeling somewhat human again. Toweling   
his hair dry as he shuffled down the stairs, Harvey made a beeline to the answering   
machine. The phone must've rung ten times while he was in the shower. Once again   
trying to keep King from bumping into him, he went into the kitchen and hit the message   
button on the machine.  
  
"Leek. How could you turn on your brothers like that? You're a disgrace to the   
uniform!"  
  
"Traitor!"  
  
"I hope you don't think you're going to get away with trying to frame three of the best   
cops I know, you bastard."  
  
Each message was worse than the last and by the time Harvey reached out to hit the erase   
button, his hand was trembling. It had started and he'd barely been home an hour. The   
phone rang again and Harvey stared at it, dreading what might be on the other end of the   
line. Picking up the receiver, he placed it hesitantly against his ear. "Hello?"  
  
"Hey, Harv, glad you made it home okay. I was going to drop by after work, but figured   
you'd be getting a lot of sleep tonight and didn't want to bother you. You are okay, aren't   
you?"  
  
"Evan." Sighing with relief, Harvey sagged against the wall. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks   
for checking up on me, Ev, I really appreciate it."  
  
"No problem, Harv. What are partners for? Hey, are you coming in tomorrow?"  
  
"Yes, Nash and I have to go over a lot of stuff. I'll be there in the morning."  
  
"Alright, I'll see you then. Go to bed, Harv."  
  
"I am, Evan, don't worry about that. Take it easy, man." Hanging up with his partner,   
Harvey wiped a hand over his face and stared at King for a moment. The big dog stared   
faithfully back. "Come on, King. You heard the man, let's get some sleep."  
  
Once settled in bed, Harvey dropped a hand over the side and let it rest on King's head a   
moment. For once, he was grateful for the security the big dog gave him. He couldn't   
believe how insecure those phone calls had made him feel. Despite how tired he was,   
sleep wouldn't come that night.   
  
The phone continued to ring until Harvey finally disconnected it. That didn't deter his   
tormentors for long, though. Shortly after unplugging the offending instrument, the cell   
phone began to ring. Harvey turned it off as well, but sleep was still elusive. The words   
of the callers rang in his ears all night, keeping him awake.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next morning, Harvey made his way stiffly up the gangway to the ferry. He was   
already running late, but it couldn't be helped. He'd had to call the phone company first   
thing that morning to get a new, unlisted number. Then he walked out to his car to find   
that someone had let the air out of two of his tires, and it had taken him thirty minutes to   
air them back up with his bicycle pump. Now his ribs were on fire and his back ached.   
That matched the pounding in his head and the burning in his sleep-deprived eyes.  
  
As he made his way to his desk, he had to fend off a few well-wishers who wanted to slap   
him on the back. Even in his home away from home, he received a few dark looks from   
officers in uniform. He'd hoped the SIU would be his haven, but it appeared as if that   
wasn't going to happen.  
  
He dumped his bag on the floor by his desk and sat down. Logging in, he began the task   
of weeding out the hate mail. He sighed at the sheer volume of email waiting for him. It   
was only 9:30 in the morning, and Harvey was already looking forward to a beer in the   
Dead room. The days ahead stretched out into eternity in his mind.  
  
"Harvey! Welcome back, baby."  
  
Wincing when Evan walked up behind him and gave him a hearty slap on the back,   
Harvey turned his chair around. "Thanks, Ev, but could you do me a favor?"  
  
"Sure, Harv."  
  
"Be careful with the merchandise, would you? I'm a little sore in spots. The back is   
connected to the ribs, if you know what I mean." Harvey smiled at Evan's chagrin.  
  
"Sorry, Harv. I didn't even think." Evan's anxiety vanished when he caught Harvey's   
smile. "Hey man, it's good to have you back."  
  
"Yeah, I bet Nash has had a helluva time keeping you in line while I was gone."  
  
"Funny. Nash is waiting for you back at interrogation, by the way. Some lady is here   
from MCD and you're supposed to be meeting with them."  
  
Resisting the urge to pack up and return home, Harvey got up and headed for the coffee   
maker. He certainly wasn't going to face MCD without a little caffeine. After fixing a   
cup of the hot java, he headed back to interrogation, resignation settling in with each step.  
  
He heard the voices before he actually could see Nash at the table. His boss was arguing   
with a dark-haired woman, both of them leaning toward each other in hostility. Harvey   
heaved a huge sigh and cleared his throat has he stepped closer to the battling pair.   
"Nash, sorry I'm late."  
  
Pausing in mid insult, Nash smiled broadly and stood to embrace his friend, but was   
stopped when Harvey held up a hand to ward him off. "What's the matter, Harvey?"  
  
"No offense boss, but I hurt in more places than I'd like to count and there's no sense in   
aggravating any of them. Thanks for the thought." Harvey smiled tiredly and reached   
out to shake the hand of the pretty newcomer. "Inspector Harvey Leek, Miss…?"  
  
"Cross, Inspector. Caitlin Cross. Now that you've finally arrived, we can begin."   
Casting a dark look at Nash, she opened the folder on the table in front of her.  
  
Bristling at her backhanded comment about his being late, Harvey stiffly lowered himself   
into the empty chair between her and Nash. Reaching into his shirt pocket, he pulled out   
a piece of paper and handed it to Nash. "Hey, boss, I had to get a new, unlisted number   
this morning. That's the new number, there. I'd change my cell number, but my CIs need   
to be able to reach me."  
  
Knowing why Harvey would have to resort to changing his number, Nash shot him a look   
of concern. "Are you okay, Harv? Do you want some time off?"  
  
Rubbing his eyes, Harvey shook his head. "No. I think I'll be better off here, where I   
have something to keep me busy and not brooding over it."  
  
"If you say so, bubba, but if you need anything, don't hesitate to come to me."   
  
"Thanks, Nash. I may take you up on it later, though."   
  
Both men looked up at the sound of Caitlin clearing her throat. "If you two are ready, I'd   
like to get started."  
  
Making an extravagant gesture, Nash smiled without humor. "By all means, Mizz Cross.   
The podium is yours."  
  
"Thank you. Now, Inspector Leek, what were you doing at Mickey's Place that evening?   
If you were meeting an informant, why didn't you let someone know where you were   
going and why?"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Harvey's not the one arrested in this thing." Nash wasn't about to   
let MCD insinuate anything in order to try to minimize what had happened.  
  
"I'm well aware of that, Captain. I'm simply trying to establish what happened."  
  
"I'll tell you what happened. Harvey got called to the bar by a harmless informant, and   
got waylaid on the way back to his car. End of story."  
  
Harvey observed the battle of wills with amusement. He wasn't sure, but it looked to him   
as if Nash had finally met his match. He knew it had to be driving his boss crazy. He   
calmly sipped his coffee and looked back and forth between the two combatants. It was   
like watching a tennis match.  
  
"Look here, sister. I will not have you badgering any of my team members. Harvey is   
the accuser, not the accused. Get me?"  
  
"Don't call me sister, Captain."  
  
And they were off again. Growing weary of the argument, certain there was an element   
of sexual attraction beneath it all, Harvey glanced at his watch then shoved his chair   
back. He stood, wincing, and headed back to his desk. He hadn't taken two steps when   
the bickering stopped.  
  
"Harvey, where are you going?"   
  
Rolling his eyes, Harvey shrugged. "I just figured I'd go back to my desk and give you   
two some privacy. When you're through arguing, let me know."  
  
"Wait, Harvey, come back and sit down." Nash ran a hand through his hair and sighed.   
He didn't know why, but Miss Cross sure pushed his buttons. He'd just have to resist the   
urge to contradict her, for Harvey's sake.  
  
Eyeing his boss with skepticism, Harvey went back to his seat and set his coffee on the   
table. He narrowed his eyes and leaned toward Caitlin. "Miss Cross. I am sore and   
tired. I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible, if you don't mind. Let me just   
start this off by telling you exactly what happened, what I heard and what I saw. You can   
then draw your own conclusions about it, if you like."  
  
Nash hid a smile as Caitlin blinked a moment, taken aback by Harvey's tone, then cleared   
her throat. "If you insist. Go ahead."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm telling you, Joe, Harv put her in her place." Nash picked up a file from his desk and   
dropped it in his 'out' box.  
  
Smiling, Joe sat on the corner of Nash's desk and swung his foot. "Sounds to me like he   
put you in yours, too."  
  
"Yeah, well, that woman would try the patience of a saint, bubba. I'll be glad when this is   
over and we'll never have to see her around here again."  
  
"If you say so, Nash." Joe knew his friend very well, and a challenge is just what Nash   
loved best. "Just so you know, though, there's already a pool going."  
  
"A pool?" Nash looked up at Joe with amusement. The people who worked at he SIU   
would start a pool for just about anything. "May I inquire as to the nature of this pool?"  
  
"Sure. Everyone's picked a day for when you ask Miss Cross out on a date."  
  
"Ain't gonna happen, bubba."  
  
"Yeah right, Nashman. You'll ask her."  
  
"Not in this lifetime." Shaking his head at the ridiculousness of the whole idea, Nash   
waved for Joe to get back to his own desk. "Don't you have work to do?"  
  
"Whatever you say, Nash. Hey, how do you think Harv's handling this?"  
  
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Nash sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm not sure,   
bubba. He's already getting crank calls and had to get an unlisted number. I know   
something happened this morning to make him late, but he won't tell me what it was. He   
and Evan just went to lunch and hopefully he'll talk to his partner."  
  
Harvey's partner, however, wasn't getting anything out of him. "Come on, Harv. I know   
this has to be bothering you."  
  
"Evan, leave it alone, okay? I told you I'm fine. It's just a few crank calls. I expected   
something like this to happen, so it came as no surprise." No surprise, but it was still   
unpleasant.  
  
"Yeah, well, if you need a place to stay for a while, you know where to find me."  
  
Turning his water glass around in a circle, Harvey had to smile. "Remember what   
happened last time I stayed with you, Ev? You couldn't wait to get rid of me. It'll be   
weeks, at least, until this is brought to trial. I don't think we'd survive each other for that   
long. I'll be fine at home. I shouldn't have a problem with crank callers anymore, and I   
have King there."  
  
"Who do you think the fourth guy was, Harv?" Evan hated the thought of the last   
attacker getting away with it.  
  
"I don't have a clue. It could be anybody, but whomever it was is probably from the   
Tenderloin." Harvey knew that, unless one of the others rolled over, they'd probably   
never find the missing assailant. Somewhere, deep down, he thought maybe he'd   
recognized something about that fourth man, but…he couldn't seem to remember exactly   
what it was.  
  
As he followed Evan out to the truck to return to the SIU, Harvey stopped on the   
sidewalk for a moment. He'd almost had it. That fleeting moment of certainty about the   
fourth attacker. Then it was gone and, try as he might, he couldn't get it back.  
  
The rest of the day dragged. Harvey was assigned desk duty until he was released by the   
physician, and there was more than enough paperwork to keep him busy. He struggled to   
stay awake while staring at file after file. He'd never been so glad to see the end of a   
workday.   
  
Slipping into his jacket and grabbing the beret off his desk, Harvey let Nash know that he   
was heading home. Evan invited him to go out for a beer, but he turned him down.   
Harvey wanted nothing more than to go home and get some sleep.  
  
When Harvey pulled onto his street, he parked further away than he normally did in an   
attempt to avoid another incident like that morning. When he walked in the door, he   
smiled at the way King pranced, happy to see his master return. "Come on boy, let's go   
for a quick walk. I sure won't want to do it later."  
  
Walking into the kitchen to retrieve King's leash, Harvey was happy to see that his   
answering machine was empty. Maybe he'd be able to relax that night. Harvey took   
King once around the block then returned home and jumped in the shower. The hot   
water worked its magic and felt much better when he went back downstairs to dig up   
something for dinner.  
  
Much to his amusement, Nash, Joe and Evan all called to check up on him during the   
evening. He reassured them that he was fine, glad for their concern. When he hung up   
with Evan, Harvey snapped his fingers for King and led him upstairs. "I know it's a little   
early, King, but it's time for bed."  
  
Unplugging his phone first, just in case, Harvey slid between the sheets and sighed with   
contentment. It didn't take long for him to get to sleep this time. King flopped down on   
the floor by his master's bed and let out a long sigh of his own.  
  
Sitting bolt upright in the bed, Harvey panted for breath. He was soaked in sweat and his   
heart was pounding. He couldn't figure out what had woken him up. He'd been caught in   
the grip of a nightmare, but knew something else had caused him to wake up. Looking at   
the clock, the illuminated numbers read 4:17. King was standing at the closed bedroom   
door, his ears pricked, whining to be let out.   
  
Climbing out of bed, Harvey grabbed his weapon off the nightstand and opened his door.   
King immediately bounded downstairs. Harvey followed at a much slower pace, trying   
to see in the pitch darkness. He strained to hear any sounds, but all was quiet except for   
the clicking of King's nails on the hardwood floor.  
  
He searched every room, but didn't see anything. Returning to the living room, he swore   
softly when he stubbed his bare foot against something hard. Limping over to the wall,   
Harvey turned on the light and saw what had almost tripped him. A brick had been   
thrown through his window and slid across the floor. He was lucky he hadn't stepped on   
any glass.   
  
Once he was satisfied that an intruder wasn't in the house, Harvey went back upstairs for   
some shoes so he wouldn't risk cutting himself. He swept up the glass and put the brick   
on his desk. He rechecked the locks on his doors and windows then retreated to the Dead   
room. He knew he wouldn't get any more sleep that night, and he wasn't sure whether to   
call the incident in or not.  
  
When the sun began it's laborious climb over the horizon, Harvey still hadn't made up his   
mind. With a sigh, he climbed out of the beanbag chair and went to call a glazier to fix   
the window. He made arrangements with Janice, his dog walker, to come and wait for   
the repairmen then got ready to face another day. He decided not to file a report on the   
incident. He didn't feel like wasting his time on paperwork and he knew they'd never find   
out who threw the brick.  
  
When he walked to his desk that morning, he caught Evan staring at him. Ignoring his   
partner, Harvey sat down and booted up his computer. He'd blocked his email address,   
so he didn't have to take time to weed through a hundred messages this time. When Evan   
wandered over to sit on the corner of his desk, Harvey looked up from his computer   
screen. "Something you need, Evan?"  
  
"You doing okay, Harv?"  
  
"I'm fine, Evan, just a little tired." Harvey was going to go nuts, if Evan asked that   
question every day.  
  
"Okay. Not that I actually believe you."   
  
They both smiled and Evan went back to his own desk. Harvey had just started in on the   
day's paperwork when Nash started to walk past then stopped.  
  
"You get any sleep last night, bubba? You look like hell." Nash frowned at the obvious   
signs of sleeplessness.   
  
"I slept fine, boss. That is, until about four o'clock this morning."  
  
"What happened at four o'clock?"  
  
"Someone lobbed a brick through my front window, Nash."  
  
"Damn." Scrubbing a hand over his mouth, Nash looked up at the ceiling for a moment.   
"Evan, take Harvey over to my place, would ya?"  
  
Harvey opened his mouth to protest, but Nash cut him off. "No arguments, Harv. I need   
you back on the street and that's not going to happen as long as you're fighting exhaustion   
like this. Go to my place, get some sleep and I'll see you this afternoon. Got it?"  
  
A little reluctant, feeling like he was losing control of his own life, Harvey nodded his   
understanding then followed Evan outside. The drive to Nash's building was quiet. Evan   
was at a loss as to what to say, and Harvey was too lost in his own thoughts to talk.  
  
Stretched out on Nash's couch, Harvey tried to put the past days' events out of his mind.   
He had to admit that he really could use some sleep. He knew he couldn't do this every   
day, though. He'd just have to stick it out. It wouldn't last forever…only until the trial.   
The trial. He dreaded having to testify against fellow officers. He was angry. Angry   
with them for what they did to him, what they'd done to the other victims. Angry with   
them for thinking that violence was a way to deal with their fear of people who were   
different than themselves. Angry that wives and children were left to suffer. Angry that   
his life had been turned upside down.  
  
Taking a deep breath, Harvey tried to release his anger. Animosity, fear and ignorance   
had started everything. Letting out his breath slowly, Harvey felt calmness settle over   
him like a blanket. This time, his sleep was peaceful.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Over the weeks that followed the day he slept at Nash's apartment, Harvey had to contend   
with more harassment. He began to receive crank calls on his cell phone, had to replace   
his window twice more and the air in his tires was let out so many times that he finally   
started hitching a ride with Evan. Strange dreams woke him up most nights, but he never   
could remember what they were about. The strain was beginning to show.  
  
Adjusting the volume for his earphones, Harvey glanced over at the uniformed officer   
sitting across from him in the back of the truck. "So, Cobb, what did you do to get stuck   
with me and Evan on this?"  
  
Chuckling, the taller man ran a hand through his graying hair. "Actually, I volunteered."  
  
"Volunteered? For surveillance? Are you nuts?" Evan couldn't understand why anyone   
in his right mind would volunteer for such a boring assignment. Sitting in the back of a   
cramped truck, waiting for the appearance of a mid-level fence, wasn't high on Evan's to-  
do list.  
  
"No, I'm not crazy. Where else could I sit on my can all day in a nice warm truck, eating   
food paid for by the SIU and have to do nothing but sit and watch for Mario to show up?   
Besides, it gave me chance to work with old Harvey over there." Cobb reached over to   
slap Harvey on the back and smiled.  
  
"So, you two went to the academy together?" Somehow, Evan had a hard time picturing   
Harvey as a rookie cop in uniform.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Worked the same station for years, too. I could tell you some wild stories   
about your partner."   
  
Holding up his hand, Harvey laughed. "Whoa, whoa. No stories. I gotta work with this   
guy, Cobb."  
  
Smiling, Cobb pretended to think it over. "What're you going to pay me to keep me   
quiet?"  
  
"Bloodsucker. I'll buy you lunch."  
  
"You're getting away cheap, but okay."  
  
When lunchtime rolled around, Harvey sprang for Evan's as well. His partner had been   
very supportive during the long wait for the trial, and Harvey appreciated it. The three   
men spent an uneventful shift on surveillance, with no results. ]  
  
Back at the SIU, Evan grumbled at the amount of paper work he filled out for such a   
nothing day. "All we did was sit there all day, and I've got to write all this? Harv, there's   
gotta be a better way to do this."  
  
"There may be, brother, but you'll just have to do it the hard way." Harvey chuckled,   
knowing if not for a lucky coin toss, he'd be the one with the paperwork. Harvey's smile   
fell when Nash stopped next to him with a serious expression.   
  
"Got a minute, Harv?"  
  
Catching Evan's worried look, Harvey stood up to follow Nash out onto the fantail. With   
the easy banter of Evan and Cobb, he'd managed to push the upcoming trial to the back of   
his mind and forget about everything that had been happening. Now, it all came crashing   
back down on him and he once again felt the strain of recent events.  
  
Leaning over and bracing his arms against the railing, Harvey stared out over the water,   
squinting against the wintry breeze blowing against his face. "What's up, boss?"  
  
Not answering right away, Nash also leaned against the railing and glanced at Harvey.   
Although the cuts and bruises had long since faded, the incident had left its mark. He   
knew his friend wasn't able to sleep much anymore, either from harassment or dreams.   
Harvey was more subdued, not as ebullient as he once was, his fidgety mannerisms had   
increased in frequency, and he'd lost weight. But, everything was about to take a turn for   
the better.  
  
"Are you ready for the trial tomorrow?"  
  
Bowing his head a moment, Harvey straightened up and sighed. "Yeah, boss, I am. It's   
going to be brutal, but there's no other choice."  
  
"I'm behind you all the way, bubba. Make no mistake about that. I know you're doing   
the right thing, Harvey, and so do a lot of other people. This too shall pass, my friend."   
  
"I hope so, Nash. This hasn't been easy."  
  
"The right choice isn't always the easy one, Harv. I've got some good news for you,   
though."  
  
"Oh, yeah? I could sure use some good news. Lay it on me, boss."  
  
"Gavin finally cracked. He's decided to take the deal and he's going to testify against the   
other two. He came to the conclusion that he didn't want to spend any more time behind   
bars, and away from his wife and kids, than he had to. That will make your job tomorrow   
a whole lot easier."  
  
Sagging against the railing, Harvey felt like a heavy weight had just been lifted from him.   
"What about the missing guy? Is Gavin going to roll over on him, too?"  
  
"Sorry, Harv, but Gavin won't say who it was. I guess he figures there's no reason for all   
of them to go down."  
  
Harvey hated the thought of one of the attackers getting away with it. "Nash, we'll have   
to keep an eye on the clubs and bars to make sure that missing guy doesn't decide to start   
up again."  
  
Smiling, Nash appreciated that even in the midst of his own problems, Harvey was   
worried about someone else. "You're one in a million, Harv. Come on, it's time to go   
home. We've got court tomorrow. Besides, we stand out here much longer and we'll   
freeze to death."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Standing on the courthouse steps, Harvey pulled his jacket collar up to ward off the biting   
wind. It was such a relief that it was all over. The trial had much shorter than it   
otherwise would have been, had Gavin not agreed to testify. The courtroom had been   
packed that first day…   
  
A sea of uniforms filled the seats, some were there to support Harvey, some to support   
the accused. As Harvey walked to the witness stand, he could feel every eye in the room   
staring at his back. Standing by the witness box, the clerk held out a Bible and Harvey   
placed his hand atop it. Harvey's eyes sought out his friends, sitting in the first row   
behind the prosecution's table. His eyes locked with Nash's, and he drew strength from   
his support and friendship.  
  
"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you   
God?"   
  
Harvey looked in Nash's eyes and nodded solemnly. "I do."  
  
When he was finally dismissed from the stand, Harvey breathed a sigh of relief that it   
was over. He rejoined his friends, sitting down next to Evan. They all sat a little   
straighter in anticipation as Gavin was called to the stand.  
  
When Gavin began to detail what had occurred on the night in question, corroborating   
everything Harvey had said, murmurs of surprise rippled across the room. Until that   
moment, many in the courtroom had believed it when the three men had insisted in their   
innocence.  
  
Jogging down the steps, Harvey joined Nash by the 'Cuda. "Where are Joe and Evan?"  
  
"Who knows with those two?" Peering at his watch, Nash wondered what could be   
keeping the others. "Happy to see the end of this thing, bubba?"  
  
"Yes, I am." Harvey sighed quietly and resisted the urge to lean against the car. "In a   
way, though, I feel kind of bad. Gavin and Darren both had families. Now there are two   
wives and a bunch of kids who are going to have to try to make it on their own. Their   
husbands and fathers are going to be leaving them for years."  
  
"That wasn't your fault, bubba. Those two made that choice when they decided to break   
the law."  
  
"I know, Nash." Casting his boss an ironic smile, Harvey shrugged. "You know me; I   
think about these things."  
  
"Yeah, I know you do, Harv." Catching sight of Joe and Evan as they hurried down the   
steps, Nash smiled broadly and walked around to the driver's side. "Alright, now that you   
two clowns have decided to join us, let's go celebrate a guilty verdict, shall we?"  
  
When the 'Cuda pulled up in front of Mickey's Place, Harvey shot Nash a surprised look.   
"What are we doing here?"  
  
"Well, bubba, I thought we should end this thing where it started."  
  
Shaking his head, Harvey smiled, knowing what Nash was trying to do. "Before we go in   
there, I'd like to remind you, Evan, that we still have a surveillance shift tomorrow. We   
still haven't caught Mario."  
  
Draping an arm across his partner's shoulders as they walked toward the door, Evan put   
on his best innocent look. "What are you insinuating? That I would go out and get drunk   
when I've gotta work the next day? Harvey, I'm hurt."  
  
"Yeah, yeah." Pushing open the doors and stepping inside, Harvey jumped back and   
nearly knocked Evan over when a large group of people suddenly shouted, "Surprise!"  
  
"Wha…?" Harvey looked back at Nash in astonishment.  
  
"I told you we were going to celebrate a guilty verdict. Pepe hired out the bar, and   
everyone met here. I actually can't believe Joe kept it a secret."  
  
"What do you mean, Nashman? Any secret is safe with me. I'm a veritable Fort Knox."   
Looking around at the others, Joe was disappointed to see nothing but skepticism.   
"Okay, so the fact that Harv's been a little distracted had something to do with it. Sue   
me."  
  
Everyone broke out into laughter and, one by one, shook Harvey's hand or slapped him   
on the back to congratulate him. Most had supported him from the beginning, but a few   
had been fair weather friends. Harvey started to laugh when the music began to play and   
he realized they'd chosen The Grateful Dead in his honor.  
  
When the party began to wind down and everyone said their goodbyes as they left to head   
home, Nash joined Joe at the bar. "Where's the guest of honor?"  
  
"Asleep in the booth in the corner. Pepe's standing guard to make sure nobody wakes   
him up. I think he feels a little guilty for Harvey getting beat up in the first place."  
  
Leaning around to see that corner of the room, Nash laughed when he saw Harvey's legs   
sticking out past the end of the seat and Pepe standing next to the booth, taking his self-  
appointed duty seriously. "Now, there's something you don't see every day. Where's   
Evan?"  
  
Joe snorted and jerked a thumb toward the other end of the bar. "He's trying to pick up   
that waitress over there."  
  
Glancing over, Nash saw Evan talking with the pretty young woman, obviously trying to   
get a date. It didn't look like he was having much luck. "Joe, you go save Evan from   
embarrassment and I'll wake up Harvey. We've all got to be back at work this morning."  
  
"Whatever you say, Nashman."  
  
It was easier to get Harvey awake and out to the car than it was for Joe to pull Evan away   
from the waitress. By the time Joe and Evan made it out to the 'Cuda, Harvey was asleep   
again. Climbing into the backseat, Evan moved Harvey's arm so he could sit down.   
"Hey, anybody have any shaving cream?"  
  
Turning around, Nash gave Evan a funny look. "You're mean, bubba."  
  
"What? He did it to me when we were babysitting Big Leroy three months ago."  
  
"You short-sheeted his bed, what did you expect?" Nash turned back around and caught   
the devious look on Joe's face. "Oh, no, bubba. Don't even think about it. You would   
lose that game, guaranteed."  
  
Despite his admonishments, he could almost see the wheels turning in Joe's head.   
Starting the car, he gave his partner a warning look. "Joe. Forget it."  
  
"Whatever you say, Nashman. Whatever you say." Joe smiled, making plans.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the alarm went off later that morning, Harvey reached out and slapped the snooze   
button, knocking the clock onto the floor. He'd been awakened in the middle of a dream.   
He'd been back in the alley and the four men had just taken off, running. For a brief   
moment, he was sure he'd remembered something about the shadowy fourth figure.  
  
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Harvey almost shivered. The dream had been very vivid.   
He'd smelled the garbage in the alley, heard the pounding of feet and felt the pain once   
again. He wondered why it was so easy to remember the missing details in his sleep, but   
impossible while he was awake. Maybe he'd mention it to Evan later. Talking about it   
might help him remember what he'd known in his dream. They'd have plenty of time to   
discuss it while on surveillance with Cobb.  
  
Evan had been glad to see that he wasn't the only one dragging a little when he'd shown   
up for work that morning. Sitting in the back of the truck, freezing, Evan noted that   
Harvey looked every bit as tired as he himself felt. Blowing into his hands to warm   
them, Evan checked the monitor in front of him. "When are they going to fix the heat in   
this tin can?"  
  
Rubbing his own hands together, Cobb shrugged. "Who knows? It's been out for three   
days."  
  
"Swell." Noticing the far away look on Harvey's face, Evan reached over to give his   
partner a nudge. "Earth to Harvey. Penny for your thoughts."  
  
Shaking his head, trying to drag his mind back to the job, Harvey smiled wryly. "Keep   
your money, they're not worth it. I was just thinking about a dream last night. It's the   
weirdest thing. I can almost remember…"  
  
Leaning forward to look in the monitor, Cobb interrupted and pointed at the screen.   
"There's Mario."  
  
As they watched Mario walk towards his apartment building, two men in tailored suits   
stepped out of a car parked nearby and started after him. Harvey squinted at the screen,   
but couldn't make out the identities of the two new players. "Who the hell are those   
two?"  
  
"What the…?" Evan stopped and drew his weapon as they watched one of the men pull   
out a gun and shoot Mario. "Damn!"  
  
All three cops spilled out of the back of the truck, weapons drawn, and ran after the two   
men. Evan took off down the sidewalk, chasing the shorter of the two. Harvey and Cobb   
sprinted after the other man, who'd ducked down the alley.  
  
Three-quarters of the way down the block, Evan's man darted into the street…right into   
the path of an SUV. He never had a chance. Evan stumbled to a stop and, knowing his   
suspect wasn't going anywhere, sprinted back the other way to back up Harvey and Cobb.   
He turned the corner into the alley and was halfway through when he heard a noise   
above. Looking up, he couldn't see anything, but was certain the chase had moved to the   
roof. Leaping up, he caught a rung on the ladder and pulled himself up.  
  
Harvey kept the gunman in sight as they ran across the roof and could hear Cobb panting   
behind him. He was really not in the mood to chase a murderer across the city's rooftops.   
"If you don't stop, dammit, I'm gonna shoot you!"  
  
His answer was a poorly aimed shot that pinged off an air conditioning unit next to him,   
making him duck reflexively. He slipped on a wet spot and went down on one knee as   
Cobb ran past him, closing the gap between them and the gunman. Regaining his   
footing, Harvey picked up the pace to catch up. As he ran behind Cobb, a strange thing   
seemed to happen. It was as if reality and his dream merged into one. With sudden   
clarity, he remembered what he'd known with absolute certainty in his dream. He had   
recognized something about that fourth man.  
  
As quickly as the moment came, it vanished. But, it hadn't taken the memory with it. He   
knew. He knew without a doubt. His attention was draw back to the present when he   
saw Cobb struggling with the taller man at the edge of the building. "Stop right there and   
back away!"  
  
The suspect didn't heed the warning and swung Cobb around briefly, so that the cop   
blocked Harvey from firing. Cobb and the suspect each had the other by the wrist,   
fighting for control of the weapons. Slamming the other man's wrist against the hip high   
wall at the edge of the roof, Cobb managed to force him to drop his weapon. Before he   
could get the upper hand, however, the suspect gave a mighty shove and they both hit the   
wall and teetered for a second.  
  
Knowing what was about to happen, Harvey shoved his gun in his pocket even as he   
closed the distance between himself and the struggling pair. Cobb's hip hit the wall and   
he went over, desperately grabbing for the edge. Harvey lunged forward and managed to   
wrap both hands around Cobb's wrist.  
  
Bracing his knees against the wall and throwing his weight back, Harvey managed to   
keep from going over as well. He looked down into Cobb's terrified face. Harvey   
couldn't tell which emotion he felt strongest: fear, anger or betrayal.  
  
"Let him go and turn around!" The gunman had picked up his discarded weapon and   
now had it aimed at Harvey's back. "I said let him go."  
  
Harvey kept a tight grip on Cobb and asked his long-time friend one question. "Why?"  
  
Looking up into Harvey's blue eyes, Cobb saw that his friend knew. "I'm sorry, Harv. I   
didn't know it was you, I swear. Not until you showed your badge and started yelling at   
us. Please don't let me go, Harvey. Please."  
  
Harvey heard the click as the tall man pulled back the hammer on the gun, but he never   
broke eye contact with Cobb. His shoulders trembled with the strain and his hands were   
beginning to sweat, becoming slick. He couldn't hold Cobb much longer. He almost lost   
his grip when he heard the booming sound of a gunshot. The expected bullet never came,   
however.  
  
"Here Harv, let me help."  
  
He'd never been so happy to see Evan in his life. With his partner's help, they got Cobb   
back over the ledge and onto solid ground once more. Evan went to check to see if the   
gunman was still alive, leaving Harvey alone with Cobb.  
  
Cobb stood hunched over with his hands braced on his knees, gulping for air and looking   
a little green. Harvey stared at him, trying to understand. The two men had been good   
friends when they'd worked together, and had even gone out for drinks off and on since   
then. How could his friend harbor such hatred and prejudice and he not know it?  
  
Watching as Cobb tried to regain his composure, Harvey still couldn't understand it.   
Why couldn't his friend just have lived and let live? Why couldn't he just have tried to   
understand instead of fear? Get to know them instead of hate them? Live in tolerance   
instead of anger? He had to know.  
  
"Why?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
END  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
